Distinguished Chair, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.

The diversion of non-scheduled chemicals and proliferation and trafficking of designer precursors remains a serious concern and clearly presents the biggest challenge to drug precursor control and monitoring. 

All designer precursors detected and seized in the EU originate in 3^rd countries and rapidly became the raw materials of choice for illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs in the EU. 

Criminals are now exploiting online platforms and express couriers to smuggle designer precursors into the EU, thereby exacerbating the challenges faced by Customs authorities, law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies. 

The rise of online platforms as a conduit for drug precursor distribution poses a critical threat, as these digital marketplaces offer anonymity and access to a vast and global customer base, creating opportunities for criminal networks to distribute precursors widely and discreetly. 

Criminals use express courier services to transport illegal goods because these services are designed for a fast and reliable delivery. The sheer volume of packages handled by courier companies makes it impossible to control each shipment, allowing illegal goods to slip through. 

The EU calls upon the global community to address the phenomena of designer precursors by: 

a. Strengthening international collaboration and enhancing information sharing practices between countries and international agencies; 

b. Establishing robust regulatory frameworks to pro-actively schedule potential derivatives and related chemicals that may be used in the illicit manufacture of drugs; 

c. Developing public-private partnerships to foster collaboration between Customs, law enforcement and courier services and online platforms to protect the integrity of supply chains and improve detection and interception efforts; 

d. Enhancing risk analysis, detection capabilities and laboratory analysis; 

Thank you, Mr Chair.